Neve Campbell (53) is returning to the role of Sidney Prescott once more. The actress has confirmed that she will appear in the eighth installment of the horror franchise Scream. She announced this on Monday to the Associated Press, as reported by the U.S. trade publication Variety. Campbell had actually shown up to promote her Netflix series Black Doves during the interview.
As she listed her upcoming projects, she dropped the film almost casually: “Scream 8 is also in the works.” What her particular take on Sidney will be this time, she kept to herself. “You know I can’t tell you anything about Scream 8,” Campbell said with a laugh. And she added: “I’m playing along.”
Part Seven Broke All Records
That a sequel was in the works wasn’t really surprising. In Scream 7, directed by Kevin Williamson, Sidney once again survived a confrontation with the killers behind the Ghostface mask, and at the box office it performed as well as it ever had (TheColu.mn reported). According to Variety, the film opened worldwide with $97.2 million, the best domestic/Worldwide opening in 30 years of franchise history.
In the end, it grossed $208 million worldwide on a budget of $45 million. That makes Scream 7 the most successful installment in the series. Production company Spyglass Media and distributor Paramount Pictures wasted no time moving on to develop Part Eight.
Pause in the Pay Dispute
Of course Campbell’s involvement wasn’t always a given. Of the seven “Scream” films to date, she has appeared in six. For “Scream 6” in 2023, she pulled out after a contract dispute. Her value to the franchise was greater than the salary on offer, she explained at the time on CBS Mornings. “It didn’t feel right — I had to make that decision.”
As early as 2022 she told Variety that the offer did not reflect the value she had contributed to the film series. For “Scream 7” they apparently reached an agreement. Campbell was reportedly paid seven million dollars for her return.
